slaves 1 of 2

noun

plural of slave
1
as in servants
a person who is considered the property of another person many American slaves reached freedom in the North through the network known as the Underground Railroad

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in laborers
a person who does very hard or dull work unappreciated office slaves who perform the necessary but tedious task of filing paperwork

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slaves

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of slave
as in labors
to devote serious and sustained effort slaving over a hot stove

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slaves
Noun
Make the first right on the man who permitted the heads of rebelling slaves to be put on stakes and spread across the city in order to prevent the others from getting any ideas. — Terry Gross, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026 There were a lot of stories about the richer people that went away amid all the political problems, and the people working for them, the descendants of the slaves. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026 Very few think that America was truly founded when the first slaves arrived in 1619 and that patriotic holidays are oppressive. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Washington himself had hundreds of slaves at his home and plantation in Virginia. — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026 The Greeks branded their slaves; the Romans tattooed their gladiators. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Since the 1700s, Jamaica’s populace has been dominated by the descendants of African slaves. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 Mathematician Benjamin Banneker wrote to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, condemning his hypocrisy for owning slaves. — USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 The British government borrowed 20 million pounds — equal to about 40% of its national budget — to reimburse planters for the loss of their slaves, considered by the law of the day to be property. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
Things are equally akilter in his family’s home, with his mother now sitting on the couch watching TV while his father slaves away in the kitchen. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaves
  1. servants
  2. laborers
  3. labors
  4. bondmen
  5. workers
  6. struggles
  7. strives
  8. works
Noun
  • Raised by servants and educated by an uncle, Sade was a spoiled child with a temper and a taste for rebellion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Protecting the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is essential to ensuring America can continue recruiting and retaining the public servants our communities depend on.
    — Verna L. Williams, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of servants
Noun
  • This was followed by the establishment of regional rural banks starting in 1975, with the aim of lending to financially weaker rural groups, including marginal farmers, agricultural laborers, and small entrepreneurs.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026
  • My beloved barn jacket dates back to 19th-century France—referred to as a chore coat or bleu de travail—where it was worn among farmers and laborers who relied on its tough, moleskin fabric to get them through fieldwork.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of laborers
Verb
  • Thoroughly unimpressed by her suburban idyll, and evidently unmoved by her responsibilities as wife and mother, Denise labors in her basement on a novel whose protagonist wishes to forsake her family for a life in New York.
    — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.
    — Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
Definition of labors
Noun
  • That is the standard set for bringing weapons and cellphones into a secure area, safeguarding department property, monitoring the radio, misusing department letterhead, badges or insignia, secondary employment violations, and recommending bondsmen or attorneys to inmates.
    — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
  • Plus, bail bondsmen are the ultimate local rent seekers.
    — Dan Gooding Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Definition of bondmen
Noun
  • The early harvest also poses logistical challenges in a region where grapes are traditionally picked by hand, with some workers still on summer vacation and others facing transportation delays.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Cities and smaller communities across the country are competing for remote workers with thousands of dollars in cash, housing assistance, coworking memberships, and other perks designed to make relocating a little easier.
    — Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of workers
Verb
  • In between being an attorney, single mom and caregiver, Jane (Mann) struggles to find any time for herself, and Coco (Buteau) is battling her own rage and resentment amid a divorce.
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In the five months since McCollough’s death, her younger sister Colleen still struggles to wrap her mind around how drastically McCollough changed during her time with Watts.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggles
Verb
  • Chesney called Martin an unbelievable leader and said that his energy will give people a window into what his program strives to look like.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Thuso Mbedu stars as Zélie, who strives to bring back magic to her kingdom.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of strives
Verb
  • Except that’s how the entertainment business works these days, and those deals did pay them millions (the Netflix production deal was reported to be in the $100-million range).
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Communications, however, is one of the few functions that regularly works across every part of the business.
    — Caroline Johns, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of works

Browse Nearby Words

slavery
slaves
slaves (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Slaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaves. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of slaves for Spanish Speakers

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